


Strategically Advantageous

by weilongfu



Category: HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trap, HIStory3-圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (Web Series)
Genre: 3 + 1 times, Don’t copy to another site, Fluff, He's bound to be stronger than we think, He's missing all the hints, Jack is a little too enamored, M/M, Silly, Zhao Zi is an acrobat, probably post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 22:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18647563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weilongfu/pseuds/weilongfu
Summary: Inspired by thispostJack likes Zhao Zi. He likes his innocent charm and sweet demeanor. Jack protects and takes care of the things he likes. Even if they can bench press him.AKA Zhao Zi eats like a horse and doesn’t gain weight because he’s probably mostly acrobatic muscle.Three times Jack overlooked just how capable his boyfriend was and the one time he was very very aware.(IDGAF that an interview says Kenny Chen is lean and has 8% body fat. LET ME SEE HIM BENCH PRESS EVERYONE WITH THOSE ACROBAT MUSCLES)





	Strategically Advantageous

**Author's Note:**

> According to interviews and other info on the web:  
> Zhao Zi's full name is Zhao Li An  
> Jack's Chinese name is Fang Liang Dian

The first:

 

“Do you need to do that?” Jack looked away from the window to watch Zhao Zi move into a handstand in the middle of the room without any difficulty. “Keep watch on the perimeter all the time?”

 

“Old habits die hard, Zhao Zi.” Jack only smiled while Zhao Zi rolled his eyes before beginning his handstand push ups. “Besides, someone needs to keep an eye out. This neighborhood is awful.”

 

“This neighborhood is full of nice people!” Jack could hear the pout in Zhao Zi’s voice, but instead kept watching the tips of Zhao Zi’s feet as they bobbed up and down. “Just last week Mrs. Han came over to give me chocolates since she found out about you. She said it was nice I was finally settling down. Did you know her daughter is graduating from university this year with a degree in finance?”

 

“I always knew Mrs. Han was up to no good,” Jack muttered under his breath.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I said that’s very sweet of her!” Jack bent down to look Zhao Zi in the face with a smile. “Shall I begin lunch so it’s ready when you’re done exercising?”

 

Zhao Zi smiled so hard his eyes turned into crescents. “I want a rice dish today! And squid! And bok choy! And vegetable pickles! And salted eggs! And soup!”

 

“You ate all the squid yesterday.” Jack poked Zhao Zi’s cheek and the other man pouted. “How about fish? I bought some sea bass on my way over today.”

 

“That’s so expensive! You shouldn’t have!”

 

“No less expensive than squid.” Jack tousled Zhao Zi’s hair, which still failed to stop his push ups. “Take your time exercising. Steaming the fish will take a little longer, even if it’s not so big.”

 

“Steamed fish! Yay!”

\------

The second:

 

Tang Yi stilled Shao Fei’s chopping with a gentle hand on top of his. Despite everything between them, Shao Fei’s ears still turned pink. “You’re doing it wrong. They’re supposed to be even pieces.” Then Shao Fei’s ears turned red. 

 

“What does it matter? You’re going to chew it all up anyway!”

 

Tang Yi rolled his eyes. “Just give me the knife.”

 

“No! You said I get to do the chopping. I am doing the chopping!” Shao Fei made a show of continuing to chop the rest of the onion half before squinting in the direction of the living room. “Am I seeing correctly?”

 

“You can’t slice vegetables worth a damn, of course you can’t see correctly.”

 

“Not here.” Shao Fei nudged Tang Yi’s head up with his elbow and Tang Yi’s arm jerked as if he was ready to block an attack. Shao Fei gave him a look and Tang Yi shrugged before turning to the living room.

 

Tang Yi rubbed his eyes. “Are you seeing Jack levitate?”

 

“So I’m not crazy?”

 

Jack, on his next rise upwards, smiled and waved. “No funny business you two. Just food.”

 

Shao Fei leaned forward, as if a few centimeters would help him discern how Jack was rising and falling. “How are you doing that?”

 

“An An was bored and I wanted to keep an eye on you two.”

 

“Stop calling me An An!” Zhao Zi’s voice seemed to come from nowhere.

 

“It’s cuter than Zhao Zi,” Jack teased despite Zhao Zi’s huff, whether from exertion or annoyance, none could say. “You’re doing really well An An! Just a few more before this rep is over.”

 

“Jack is so mean! If you don’t stop calling me An An, I’m going to call you Dian Dian!”

 

Jack finally averted his gaze away from Tang Yi and Shao Fei. “You wouldn’t dare.”

 

“You’re letting Zhao Zi… Bench press you because he was bored?” Shao Fei rubbed his eyes. “Tang Yi, you can cut the damn onion, I think it’s affecting my vision.”

 

“It’s strategically advantageous!” Jack protested. “I can help entertain An An and keep an eye on you two.” 

 

“Dian Dian, I’m done!”

 

“No you’re not, you’re five short.”

 

Tang Yi eyed Jack’s continually bobbing face and then the onion pieces and chose to pick up the knife and go back to chopping. At least the recipe made sense.

\------

The third:

 

“What do you even have in this bag, Jack? Why did you pack so much into it,” Zhao Zi complained as he hauled a large black duffle bag into his spare room. Although his complaints were loud, Zhao Zi dumped the heavy bag onto the bed easily. Jack had asked to move in and Zhao Zi saw no reason to say no. It was time they got a little closer anyway. “Hasn’t anyone taught you better?”

 

Jack looked up from arranging his books into the bookshelf and immediately ran over. “Ah Li, that’s full gun cases! You shouldn’t lift that, it’s too heavy!” 

 

“Is it? Why did you bring so many guns? I hope you have the license for all of them.” Zhao Zi dusted off his hands before wagging his pointer finger at Jack. Zhao Zi looked like he was giving a stern expression, but the light in his eyes and curve of his mouth made it look like he though Jack was joking.

 

Jack blinked. “I’m a mercenary.”

 

“Former mercenary!”

 

“Former mercenary,” Jack said while nodding. “Guns are in the job description, Ah Li.”

 

“All I saw in there were pistols! You shouldn’t keep so many of those, Ah Dian!”

 

Jack let his eyes stray to the bag, he’d deal with Zhao Zi using his Chinese name again later. “Did… Did you look through my gun cases?”

 

“You have a really interesting semi-automatic! Did you get it from Europe?” Zhao Zi rambled on despite Jack’s confused expression. “And that antique revolver! I hope you didn’t overpay for that.”

 

Jack opened his mouth and then thought better of it. “You know what, don’t worry about it. What do you want for dinner?”

 

“Can we have sushi tonight, pleaaaaaase?!”

 

Jack sifted through his mental catalog of what was left in Zhao Zi’s fridge and freezer. “No sushi tonight, but I’ll make you Japanese-style braised eel if you help me bring up everything else.”

 

“Done!” Zhao Zi ran off to fetch more boxes with a salute and Jack was left to wonder where he packed his sniper rifle. 

 

And if he could fetch it before Zhao Zi found it instead. There was enough room to store it in the closet behind his suits.

\------

Plus one:

 

Jack paused in his work placing cameras around the house (“But I told you this neighborhood is fine!” “Look, if I find Mrs. Han ‘just happening’ to walk by with her daughter again when the supermarket is in the other direction, I need to have words with her.”) to watch Zhao Zi move into his next yoga pose. The younger man effortlessly bent and twisted his body and Jack found his hands itching to touch.

 

It was unexpected, Zhao Zi’s physical flexibility despite his lower scores for martial arts. But Jack preferred it this way. Acrobatics and flexibility were useful for plenty of other things other than fighting. Zhao Zi didn’t need to fight much anyway, Jack was sure. Besides, as long as Jack was around, or at least Shao Fei in a pinch, Zhao Zi wouldn’t be left without help in a fight. 

 

And then Zhao Zi bent over backwards, his entire body a graceful arc as he heaved a peaceful sigh. Jack watched as Zhao Zi’s shirt moved to reveal taught skin. Another moment later, Zhao Zi balanced himself on one foot with both hands clasped together, extended as high as he could reach above his head. 

 

“Oh fine,” Jack muttered to himself. “Tempting little brat.” After a quick glance around, Jack threw his screwdriver and pliers into his toolkit and snuck up behind Zhao Zi, sneaking his hands under his shirt. Zhao Zi did not lose his balance, but he did squeal at the feeling of the palms of Jack’s gloves against his skin.

 

“Jack! Stop it! It tickles!” Zhao Zi wiggled back and forth, but he could not displace Jack’s warm fingertips from tracing his ribcage and across his abdomen. “I have to finish my stretching!”

 

Jack rested his chin on Zhao Zi’s shoulder and gave him his best smile. “But An An, why don’t I show you another way we can stretch out your body?”

 

“Huh? There’s another way?”

 

“Yep, I’ll help you stretch all the same muscles you’re working on. But we have to do it inside.” Jack withdrew just enough to catch Zhao Zi’s shirt before pulling him into the house. “I promise you’ll enjoy it much more than just doing boring yoga poses.”

 

If Jack had bothered looking over his shoulder, he’d catch Zhao Zi rolling his eyes before saying, “Oh… well maybe you’ll just have to teach me!”

 

If Zhao Zi could see Jack’s face, he’d catch Jack’s sharp grin. “I plan on it.”


End file.
